Where My Love Lies Waiting
by AndAllThatMishigas
Summary: Just before Christmas of 1970, two things happen that put Jed and Abbey's future into flux. Bartlet History 14.


Author's Note: The title of this story comes from the song "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel, which became something of an inspiration for this next installment.

 **Where My Love Lies Waiting**

Jed tore the letter into a million tiny pieces. He briefly thought about lighting the pile of scraps on fire, but decided against it. Instead, he swept the mess into the trash by his desk. He stood up and left his office, slamming the door behind him.

He wandered the London streets somewhat aimlessly. It took him a few tries to light a cigarette amid the snow flurries floating around him. When he smoked down to the filter, he tossed it into the snowbank on the edge of the sidewalk and immediately lit another.

London looked beautiful this time of year. The shops were all decorated in fairy lights, blinking and shimmering in the snowy landscape. Jed was in no mood to appreciate it. Before he knew it, he was in front of their building. His feet had taken him home without realizing it. _No,_ he thought, looking up at the façade, _this isn't home._ He took the cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it. He smashed it underneath his shoe.

Inside the apartment, little Elizabeth was licking a spoon of brownie batter as Abbey put the pan in the oven. "Alright, Lizzie, I'm going to set this timer, and when it dings, the brownies come out of the oven."

"And then we eat them?" the little girl asked excitedly.

Abbey shook her head. "No, baby doll, then they have to cool. We'll eat them for dessert. After dinner."

Liz was not pleased with that answer. She crossed her arms in a huff and sat in the corner, sulking. Abbey just let her stew, knowing better than to waste her breath making her daughter feel better. That would only lead to an argument and a tantrum from the two year old.

The front door opened with its familiar creaking sound. "Lizzie, Dad's home," Abbey announced.

Elizabeth got up and rushed out to the living room. "Daddy!" she shrieked in excitement. She launched herself up into her father's arms and hugged him tight around the neck. "Daddy, you smell." Her nose scrunched up to express her disgust.

"I know, sweet pea. I'm sorry. I'll go take a shower before I kiss you, okay?"

Liz nodded and allowed her father to put her down. Abbey came from the kitchen and furrowed her brow at her husband. His voice didn't sound right. And he never smoked on his way home, because the smell always bothered Liz so much. Abbey didn't care much for it either, but she was used to it.

Jed saw Abbey and gave her a nod. "I'm gonna go shower," he informed his wife. He took off his overcoat and hung it by the door before walking down the hall to the bathroom.

Abbey didn't like this. "Lizzie, stay in the living room, okay?"

"What if the timer dings?"

"Then come get me. But don't go into the kitchen."

Liz nodded, and Abbey went to follow Jed. The water was already running in the bathroom by the time she got to the bedroom. She opened the bathroom door and walked into the steam-filled room.

"Jed?"

"Yeah?"

"Honey, are you okay?" she asked.

Jed could hear the concern in her tone. He leaned against the wall of the shower, resting his head on his forearm. Before he could answer her, he heard the shower curtain get pushed aside. The water shut off a moment later. He turned to see Abbey standing there with a towel.

"Come on, babe."

Jed took the towel from her and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off quickly and wrapped the towel around his waist.

"Jed." Abbey's voice was softer now. Her fingers lightly brushed his upper arm.

He turned to face her. Her green eyes, those mesmerizing eyes, were full of worry. His, on the other hand, were pale blue and full of desperation and defeat. She didn't know what had happened, but it scared her. Instinctively, Abbey wrapped her arms around his torso and held him tight. Jed returned her embrace, burying his face in her hair, breathing the scent of her deep into his soul.

"What happened?" she asked.

"My book got rejected."

She pulled back slightly. "What?"

"The publisher sent the manuscript back with a letter, declining to publish it," he told her.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry." She hugged him tight again. "But didn't they already tell you they were going to publish it? I though they have to publish books by faculty, recommended by professors."

"That was when I was faculty. But since I finished my PhD and stopped teaching classes to work on the book full-time, they aren't obligated by the same rule anymore."

Abbey felt a knot of panic form in the pit of her stomach. "So what does this mean?"

He let out a sad sigh. "I don't know."

Her first instinct was to ask if he wanted to rejoin the faculty so that they'd have to publish the book he'd spent the last eight months killing himself over. But they were supposed to move back to the States the next month. She wouldn't offer to stay. She couldn't do that to herself. Not again. But Abbey was terrified that he'd ask. She really didn't know if she could selfishly refuse, especially if he was this upset.

Jed could feel Abbey tense in his arms. He rubbed her back, soothing himself as he comforted her. "We'll figure something out," he thought aloud. This wasn't the end of the world. They'd be okay.

"Get dressed and give Liz her kiss. She's been in a mood all day, and she's always better when you're around."

He nodded. Abbey left him alone and went back to the kitchen. Within a few minutes, he had changed into clean clothes. "Lizzie," he called, "Where's my girl?"

"Here!" she shouted, running over to him once again. "Do you smell?"

"Not anymore," he answered. He couldn't help but smile. He got down on his knees and opened his arms to her. She threw her tiny arms around him and he kissed her cheeks over and over until she pulled away, giggling uncontrollably.

Elizabeth proceeded to tell her father all about what she did at daycare that day and how excited she was to make brownies with her mother. "Mommy said we have to wait until dessert, but can we have them before that? Please?" she begged.

"When your mom says no, you don't ask me," he scolded. "You know that, Lizzie."

She scrunched her face up in disappointment. From the kitchen, a loud bell rang. Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "MOMMY THE TIMER WENT DING!" she shouted.

From the kitchen, Abbey laughed. "Thanks, baby doll," she yelled back.

When the three Bartlets sat down for dinner, Jed was able to put his worries and disappointment out of his mind. He caught Abbey's eye and smiled. She immediately averted her gaze and started talking to Liz about something. He frowned. But he'd fix it. Or at least he'd go a long way to helping.

The second that Elizabeth finished the last bite on her plate, she immediately asked for brownies. Abbey got up to cut the pan of brownies, giving one to her daughter. Jed said he needed to digest a little first. Abbey agreed.

"Lizzie, I think it's time to get you ready for bed," Jed said as she tried to lick her napkin for remnants of brownie crumbs.

She reluctantly accompanied him to the bathroom so he could give her a bath. While Jed was with Liz, Abbey cleaned the kitchen. It was rather nice to have some silence in the house. Lucky came by and nuzzled her ankles, meowing at her. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, realizing what she had forgotten. Abbey paused washing dishes to go fill Lucky's food bowl and freshen his water. "There you go, Lucky Leprechaun. Enjoy your dinner." She gave him a scratch behind the ears before returning to her cleaning.

Being left in the quiet allowed Abbey's mind to wander. They had been in London for three and a half years. Both she and Jed were sick of Britain. She had insisted they stay the extra six months so he could get his book done with the resources at the London School of Economics because she was enjoying her part-time work at the church library. And Liz was older now, and quite good company most of the time, despite how stubborn she could be with Abbey. But now, the whole family was eager to go home. Liz had only seen her grandparents a few times in her life. And she had developed quite an attachment to Jed's mother. She asked at least once a week when they would get to see Grandma Mary again. And, now that Jed's schooling was done, he was getting homesick for the United States. Abbey was counting down the days to January 4th, 1971, when they'd be getting on a plane to finally go home. Though with this new development, Abbey wasn't sure if Jed would still be as eager to leave. His book wasn't getting published. She knew he didn't have a contingency plan for that.

About half an hour later, Jed returned to the kitchen. "Our daughter has been bathed. She has brushed her teeth. She has heard a bedtime story. She has received many goodnight kisses. She is now ready for your inspection," he reported.

"Alright, I'll go see her. Be back in a minute. Grab a couple brownies for us."

"I'm gonna pour some scotch."

"Yeah, that too."

Jed put a couple of brownies on a plate and poured two generous glasses of scotch and took them into the living room. He also took one of Abbey's Christmas presents out of its hiding place.

"What's this?" she asked when she returned from saying goodnight to Liz.

"It's one of your Christmas presents, but I want you to have it now."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Let's call it reassurance. Just open it."

Abbey sat down on the couch beside him, taking a sip of scotch before picking up the red-wrapped box. It was long and thin, like perhaps for a necklace or bracelet. She cautiously ripped the paper off to find a plain white box. She took the lid off the box and found paper. A piece paper was folded to fit in the box. When she unfolded it, she knew immediately what it was. Because she'd seen it before. Her hands started shaking as she stared at the red letterhead.

"Abb?"

She turned her head to look at him and swallowed hard. "How did you get this?"

He smiled. "I wrote to the office and got copies of your original application-you never told me you got in before we graduated by the way. But we can talk about that later-and I talked to your mom about some of the other things they needed. And all your professors at Notre Dame were very helpful."

"Didn't I have to sign some things to make this happen?"

Jed shrugged. "I didn't think you'd press charges for forgery. And Harvard isn't going to ask questions. This time all the signatures say Abigail Bartlet instead of Barrington. So they don't have anything to compare it to, as if they would anyway."

"I can't believe you did this," Abbey whispered, reading and rereading the letter in her trembling hands. A tear escaped and landed on the words "Congratulations Mrs. Bartlet." Another fell on "accepted to Harvard Medical School."

"And I guess I should also tell you that I sent in your enrollment forms already."

"You what?!"

"You're enrolled to start next fall."

Abbey didn't have the words. He had applied to Harvard for her, gotten her accepted, and enrolled her. And she had no idea.

Since his wife seemed dumbstruck, Jed told her, "Nothing is going to stop us from getting on that plane in fifteen days. We're moving to the farm in Manchester, and you're going to Harvard Medical School. You've put it off enough because of me, and I wasn't going to let you do it anymore. It's time for the next chapter of our lives to start."

She tore her eyes away from her acceptance letter to look at him. He seemed a little apprehensive still.

"Abbey, honey? Is that okay?"

She threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered. Now it was official. Now Jed had made every single one of her dreams come true. They were finally homeward bound.


End file.
